Published on September 10, 2012
THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will lend its full support to the Samahang Basketbol ng
Pilipinas (SBP) when the cage body lobbies for the country’s hosting of the FIBA-Asia Men’s
Championship next week.
League commissioner Chito Salud confirmed he’ll form part of the delegation that travels to Tokyo,
Japan on Sept. 18 to make a case before executives of FIBA-Asia about the Philippines’ capability
to stage an event as big as the qualifier for the 2014 FIBA-World Championships.
Salud will be with a small but important group of Filipino basketball officials travelling to the
Japanese capital for the country’s presentation of its hosting bid. The SBP will be led by
president Manny V. Pangilinan, vice-chairman Ricky Vargas, executive director Sonny Barrios, and
former FIBA-Asia secretary general Moying Martelino.
The PBA Board of Governors will also pitch in its support as Salud is going to be accompanied by
Chairman Robert Non, Vice-chairman Ramon Segismundo, and Treasurer Ely Capacio.
Aside from the Philippines, also bidding to host the 2013 FIBA-Asia meet are Iran and late entry
Japan.
“I intend to impress upon our leaders in FIBA-Asia that the PBA is one with the SBP in its quest
to regain basketball supremacy here in Asia,” said Salud. “Unequivocal is our support of SBP’s
quest to host the FIBA-Asia qualifying tournament here in 2013 and we want to make sure (FIBA-Asia)
secretary-general Hagop Khajirian of Lebanon gets that message.
Khajirian recently visited the country for an ocular inspection of the Mall of Asia Arena, and came
away impressed with the newly-built playing venue patterned after some of the arenas owned by NBA
teams.
The country hosted the inaugural staging of the biennial meet in 1960 when it was still known as the
Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Championship. A five-time winner – second in the history of
the event – the Philippine last hosted the cagefest in 1973.
Salud believes Filipino basketball fans are excited about the prospect of bringing the FIBA-Asia
championship here after Smart Gilas-Pilipinas 2.0 won the 34th William Jones Cup basketball
tournament in Taipei recently.
He said the country’s chances of qualifying for the FIBA-World Championship in Spain two years
from now would be even better if the meet is held here given the expected hot reception of the local
fans and considering that the top three teams earn outright berths to the tournament many consider
as the ‘Olympics of basketball.’
“We in the PBA stand side-by-side with FIBA and the SBP in making sure that Asian basketball is
developed to its peak,” added Salud.
The effort of the commissioner to help the SBP in its hosting bid is the second major support
Asia’s pioneering cage league has extended to the country’s governing body in basketball under
Salud’s watch.
Working hand-in-hand with the entire PBA Board, Salud allowed the lending of 16 pro players –
later increased to 20 – to the national training pool which later formed the core of Smart Gilas
2.0 handled by coach Chot Reyes.
Following the Nationals’ success in the Jones Cup, they embark on yet another campaign as they see
action in the FIBA Asia Cup (formerly known as the Stankovic Cup) set Sept. 14 to 22 in Tokyo, Japan
that coincides with the FIBA-Asia executive meeting.
Salud and the members of the Board will also support the title drive of the Nationals by watching
some of their scheduled games.
source:
http://www.pba.ph/news/entry/1796
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